When Darkness Arises
by InsidePointPlace
Summary: News of an Evil King spreads through Kinkow and alongside it is a prophecy that has everyone going in a panicked frenzy. With the prophecy stating, only one King can survive and the other must die. Brady and Boomer are now put to the test of trust, loyalty and brotherhood. Collaboration with Wendy Pierce.
1. Chapter 1

When Darkness Arises - A Pair of Kings Fanfiction...

 **A/N -** Well here is a new story for Pair of Kings. This is a collaboration with Wendy Pierce; without her none of this would be possible! Seriously she is awesome! A nice friend to have and an awesome author! Literally go check out her stories! You will love them!

Anyway Wendy Pierce and I own nothing from Pair of Kings. So enjoy!

Chapter one written mostly by Wendy Pierce. I helped a little in the beginning.

* * *

Chapter 1

It was a Monday morning on the island of Kinkow. The sun shined down on the island, its light bathing the people in a warm glow. The occupants of the island moved in a sluggish and leisure manner, not one worry on their minds. The creatures that roamed the dark side of the island were not at all active; the monsters remaining quite for a change. It was odd. The creatures of that side were usually planning, their next attack unknown but certain. Yet, even they didn't feel like doing much that lazy morning. Everything was normal, peaceful.

Then there were the Kings of Kinkow.

Brady and Boomer Parker.

Normally with them around, chaos insured and the two were in some kind of a mess. But today, they weren't active because the two boys were awake and playing a game of pool in their bedroom in the castle.

"…I'm going to get it this time Boom! You got lucky the last game, but the white ball is right there, right where I want it." Brady stated as he got in a stance to hit the ball.

"Sure, whatever you say bro." Boomer said with slight sarcasm as he watched his brother hit the ball.

When Brady hit the ball, the two brothers watched it roll across the table and hit a yellow ball. However, as the ball hit the yellow ball, it knocked into the black eight ball that was near it and the two rolled. First the yellow ball went in and then the black eight ball. When it did, Brady groaned in frustration at his loss. Boomer laughed at his brother's failure.

"This game's rigged." Brady reasoned as he frowned and crossed his arms.

"No, you're just bad a pool-there's a difference." Boomer replied with a grin. He only received a glare form his brother.

"I'm not bad at pool. It's just rigged." Brady argued back, making Boomer laugh again.

The two were then interrupted by the sound of footsteps entering their room. Looking up, both brothers saw their close friend and head guard of the castle, Mikayla Makoola, walk into the room, her father Mason Makoola, their trusted Royal Advisor, behind her.

"My kings! We just received some horrible news." Mikayla stated as she walked over to them.

Brady rolled his eyes at Boomer before turning to Mikayla and smiling.

"That's all we get!? No, what's up? Or, how are you? No...I love you." Brady replied with a grin.

"What was that, my King?" Mason questioned the raven-haired King, his hand reaching for the machete that hung at his waist.

"Nothing," Brady squeaked out a reply, pushing Boomer in front of him and using him as a shield.

"What do you have to tell us anyway?" Boomer asked.

The two Makoola's exchanged similar looks. They were looks of worry, the twins noted, and possibly a hint of fear. "You might want to sit down for this," Mikayla told them.

"Why?" Brady asked.

"Just do it," Mikayla demanded, her voice raising slightly as she gestured to the couch on the far end of the room. The Kings, afraid of the guard girl's wrath, scrambled to do as she said. Boomer sat on the arm of the couch, Brady in the middle. Both waited for further instructions.

"Do you know the history of Kinkow, my Kings?" Mason realized that it was a stupid question, and then rephrased himself. "Have you picked up the great book?"

Both Kings snorted. "It's a book with a lot of words. Why would we do that?" asked King Boomer, leaning back onto the couch.

"Yeah, who needs to read some guide book when you can make it up?" King Brady added, smiling up at the guards.

Mikayla rolled her eyes at the King's immaturity. "The history of the Island is quite important. It tells you what to and what not to do by describing the reign of previous rulers."

"All we need to know is they screwed up; anything else isn't important," Both Kings laughed.

"It's more than that," Mason said, his tone harsh and strict. This caused the twins to stop joking and give their attention to the Royal Advisor. Mason stood with his arms crossed, his eyes full of a dead seriousness that was terrifying. His lips were a straight and thin line, proving that the man didn't think of this as a joking manner at all, compared to the Kings. "It is true; Kinkow has a long line of successful and powerful rulers. But with those who were great, came those who…weren't so successful themselves. In particular, the reign of Maliki and Kaliki."

"Oh boy, boring history lesson from the Man-Squash," Boomer interrupted.

Mason regarded the boy-king with a glare, which caused the King to cower under the fierce gaze. Mason can be scary if he wanted to, and this was one of those moments. He continued, "Maliki and Kaliki were twins, much like you and Brady are, but their relationship was not very healthy. Maliki was always greedy; wanting to keep the gold to himself and not help out the poor villagers at all. One story even says he wanted to make an army of the dead, because the soldiers who were alive weren't a strong enough force. Then there was Kaliki, who would keep the people's best intentions in mind. He was a strong and wise man, usually an undefeatable opponent in battle.

"One night, though, the Kings' argument got a bit out of control. Maliki was very sick of sitting in his brother's shadow that he decided to do something. He wanted to create a dark side of the island, where only the most gruesome and awful monsters would exist. You see, during this time, there was no such thing as the dark side. The sun would shine so brightly over the island, that it protected the people, made them feel at peace. Maliki didn't want that. He wanted terror. He wanted people to fear him and his power. He-."

"He was so greedy that he wanted people to feel his wrath and understand that he's the only person the people have to fear." Brady finished for Mason.

The Royal Advisor was taken aback by the young man. "That's very good my King. How did you know? Did you read the book?"

Brady shrugged casually. "I didn't. I just guessed."

"Well, you're not wrong," Mikayla agreed, showing that she was impressed with the boy-King. "Maliki and Kaliki got into a huge argument that they brought out their respective weapon-a sword-and started hacking at each other. Quite literally did they try to attack the other. Their battle continued, and Maliki, so fed up with his brother, broke up the fight and retreated to the South side of Kinkow, which was the depths of the jungle-an abandoned and destroyed part of the island. Maliki used some dark magic and with some success, he created his own castle, his own minions. His people were not even humans at all. They were the most horrifying monsters one can possible think of, and they were only good for causing mayhem and terror."

A broad silence followed after. It was broken when Boomer stood and asked, "And why are you telling us this?"

The Makoola's exchanged another look this time, their expressions grim and knowledgeable. The Twin Kings got the message that something serious was going on, but they didn't think about of it as so.

"The Evil King is said to rise again, and it can end with the death of a King."


	2. Chapter 2

When Darkness Arises - A Pair of Kings Fanfiction...

 **A/N -** Well were not going to say much so we can continue. Wendy Pierce and I own nothing from POK.

Chapter two; written by me, but Wendy Pierce helped with the ending and edited the whole chapter :)

Also, we author's do like feed back. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 2

What!?" was the only reply that could come from the twins. Upon hearing the story, both kings were struck with confusion, fright, wonder, and worry. If what the Makoola's were saying was true, then did that mean Brady and Boomer were in trouble?

"I don't get it," Brady began, his face evident of worry. "The death of a king? And rise again?" The boy's usual grin was no longer there, replaced with a frown. Boomer's expression was somewhat similar to his brother's, but he looked about ready to laugh it all off.

Oh, did the Makoola's wish they could fix the problem. But they weren't even certain it was real themselves. They hated being the bearer of bad news, especially since it got the Twins worked up in an anxious manner. Really, if they could make sure that the news didn't exist-that there wasn't any danger-they wouldn't be telling them such things. But on Kinkow, not everything was right and there would always be horrible news even if one didn't want it, didn't ask for it. It's just the way things worked.

"Yes, rise again and the death of a king." Mikayla nodded in agreement. She forced herself to continue even if she didn't want to. "However, we're not quiet fully sure if this has anything to do with you or Boomer. If the story is true, you would see the signs."

This only caused the Twin Kings to give her confused looks.

"Signs? What signs?" Boomer asked, moving to take a seat at the edge of his bed. He tried to understand this, but it didn't make any sense. None of it did.

"For one, there would be twin moons in the sky. One would be a clear white and the other would be blood red." Mikayla said as she gestured with her head towards the balcony. It was still daylight outside, but with the sudden turn in the conversation, the clouds would've been hanging low in the sky and a storm could be threatening to take over. At this point, anything could happen.

"Secondly, one of you would be acting differently. I'm not quite sure how, but the one who becomes the Evil King will change in appearance too. Their eyes will be a pitch black color, and they'll have a sudden grow of facial hair. Plus, they will stop at nothing to destroy the other twin." Mason finished as the twins looked at one another and then back at the Makoola's.

"Well, as you see no goatees or evil eyes! I think neither of us is the Evil King and you are all worried for nothing." Boomer stated, wagging his finger at them.

"Yeah! Boom and I are bros for life man. Why would you ever think we'd go against one another!?" Brady pointed out, believing that some silly little thing wouldn't affect them.

The Makoola's didn't have the heart to tell them they were wrong. So very wrong.

"We don't think you'd go against one another, we just worry that it's you two who's described in the story," Mikayla explained. The twins could only stare at her blankly. They really didn't understand.

"Well we're not, and you can tell the person-whoever they are-that this story of theirs is cray-cray." Boomer replied as Brady nodded in agreement. "There is no way that Brady or I am the Evil King, like I said a few minutes ago and from now on we don't want to hear any of this nonsense." Boomer finished with a rather confident nod.

The Makoola's needed the Twins to see that the danger was very much real. They tried again, only for them to get shot down.

"But my kings-" Mason began.

"I wouldn't even bother, daddy. They said they don't want to hear it; they don't want to hear it." Mikayla sighed.

"Yes! Thank you Mikayla." Brady said with a smile. It was odd how quickly the Kings could go from being terrified out of their right minds to a calm, silly manner. "Now if you excuse us, Boom and I would like to get back to our kingly business."

"You were playing pool," Mikayla told him. "What's so kingly about that?"

Boomer held his hand up to silence the guard girl. "It's official business."

With resignation and a bit of annoyance, the Makoola's stalked out of the room. Once the two were out of ear shot and the bedroom door was closed, Brady and Boomer returned to their game of pool. As they started a new game, a silence came over them. The only sound for a while was the balls hitting against one another and the table, until Brady decided to break it.

"Dude, you don't think their story about the Evil King was true, do you?" Brady asked as he hit another ball into the hole with his staff. Luckily enough for him, this shot wasn't a miss.

Boomer shrugged, "I don't know, man. I'm starting to have second thoughts. I mean, their story did sound pretty convincing-you just can't make that up on the spot." Boomer replied as he shook his head and got ready to take his turn.

"I know and that's what's got me worried," Brady replied as he leaned against his staff like it was a cane. Perhaps the magnitude of receiving the new was finally affecting him. He tried to shrug it off, but the thought was too much for him to handle that he had to ask, "What if what they're saying is true?"

"Then we do what we do with all our other problems we face," Boomer began as he hit a ball and watched it roll across the table.

"You mean call Mason for help? But we just-" Brady began as he pointed to the door where Mason and Mikayla left from a few minutes ago.

Boomer shook his head, "No! We both ignore it and wait for it to go away, or we try and solve it ourselves." The two stood there in thought, contemplating their alternatives.

"I like the first choice, the second one sounds like a lot of work." Brady said as Boomer nodded in agreement.

"So it's settled then; we ignore it and just continue with our day," Boomer said as Brady took his shot.

"Sounds good," Brady replied as he and Boomer watched the white ball roll into another one, falling into a hole.

What the Kings didn't know though; was that after that day, their safety, peace, and sanity wouldn't last for very long.


	3. Chapter 3

When Darkness Arises - A Pair of Kings Fanfiction.

A/N - Well here is chapter three!

Anyway thanks for the review and for reading for the last chapter Wendy Pierce and I own nothing from Pair of King.

Also side note; in A/N's mine is the regular print and Wendy Pierce is in bold. Just so you knew who's A/N was who's.

But yes, enjoy. Remember too, we author's do like feedback.

 **What's going to happen now that Boomer and Brady are in trouble? Read more to find out! Beginning and scene descriptions by me, the dialogue and the rest by InsidePointPlace.**

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Chapter 3

The rest of the day carried on lazily. The people of the village went about on their usual business, their tongues slipping out juicy issues to whoever would listen. No one was concerned for their well-being; everyone kept rushing to join in the drama fest. Gossiping was the villagers favorite past time-they just couldn't get enough of it which was more a bad thing, then good.

Word of this news reached the castle and it did nothing to calm the nerves of the Makoola's.

Now people were saying such things as evil will rule and darkness will encase the island. They thought that whoever was the evil King (and this came from the minds of teenage girls-no surprise there) would be a much better ruler than the current Kings. They pictured him as a rather "hot" and devilish kind of King, like Satan himself, but in a relatively good way. Even worse, the people seemed perfectly fine with an evil leader who'll most likely bring the worst upon them.

The Makoola's were distraught; they didn't know what to do. The Kings were being as ignorant as ever, choosing to avoid the problem at hand and act as if were nothing (which was typical of them). Then there was the people of Kinkow-the oh so wonderful people- who were only supplying to the rumor mill and decided that they were going to make things better by continuing their rumors.

That particular afternoon, the villagers thought that it would be best to confirm their suspicions.

A crowd began forming at the gates of the castle. It consisted of eager villagers who were a bit too eager. Mason and a few other guards went to control the crowd but they were untamable. Everyone pushed and shoved for a spot at the front, for a glance at the Kings. Mason was already troubled enough that he could barely control the raging, enthusiastic people. He wanted them to go home, stay way, and stop letting all of those ridiculous ideas surface their minds and slip off of their tongues.

Where did they get all of those theories from anyway?

Two irresponsible and immature Kings and several crazy adventures that sometimes involved creatures of the dark side and ghosts and such, and people thought it was the end of the world. Also, the villagers don't have access to the Great Book. Might it have been the Elders, the wisest, most trusted and respected people who planted these ideas in the people's heads? If it was them, then it sure as heck explains why people are referring to a story that was said to be centuries old. As Mason pushed against the current of the crowd, he made a note to look it up in the Great Book later.

Fortunately for him, Mikayla was already two steps ahead.

It had only been a while after she read that one section. It could've been minutes, hours, or days-months even-since she read that now dreaded page. She couldn't get rid of that cold feeling that invested itself in her mind, her body. The people of Kinkow were crazy fools for only running on their thirst for gossip, but they weren't wrong. It was something she hated to admit, but it was true.

It was as true as the numb feeling that spread through her body. She lost the ability to move, to think, to do anything. A warm breeze blew in through the open castle door, but with the distant shouting of the people outside and the bitter thoughts that pervaded her mind, she didn't feel any better. She sunk deeper into the couch, wanting to neglect reality but she couldn't. The book lay there, right before her on the coffee table, open to the page she wished wasn't written-wasn't true.

She knew the rumors existed. She knew that it would happen but within that moment, she didn't want it to. Mikayla would've felt better knowing that it wasn't going to happen for years to come or that it had happened, but she knew that wishful thinking wasn't right in that situation. Being hopeful could only make things right when it was appropriate. This wasn't the appropriate time at all.

Someone can and will die, she let the harsh reality sink in. And you can't do anything to stop it.

Wiping furiously at the tears that began forming in her eyes, Mikayla decided that that was it. She wasn't going to sit around and let some stupid little prophecy make her feel awful. Even if the book stated specifically that no one was allowed to change what was written, Mikayla knew that she could still do something to contribute to it.

She was going to prepare the Kings for their fight even if one of them might not come out of it alive.

* * *

Brady didn't know what to think.

It was just that simple.

Firstly, Mikayla and Mason came into their room and told them about their ancestors. Then, Boomer choose not to believe it and decided to ignore the problem while Brady had to silently fight with himself on whether he should believe it or not. Finally, even if he didn't want to believe it, all the rumors were all over the castle and village so it wasn't as though he could choose to ignore it.

It was almost near impossible to not think about the story.

Keeping all these thoughts in his head was causing Brady to go a little crazy. Sure, it had only been a few hours since he and Boomer had learned of the story but it bothered him so greatly. Pacing back and forth in the Throne Room, Brady groaned in frustration. As he went, a harsher, unnerving thought, came to mind and the worst the thought, the harder he'd pull at his raven locks. Thinking was too much sometimes that it hurt!

"Hey Brady, I-" Boomer began as he descended the steps from their room to the Throne Room. He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the troubled look on Brady's face. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Boomer asked with worry.

"No! It's that stupid Evil King story Mikayla and Mason were telling us about," Brady explained, his handsome features mixed with emotions. "I can't shake off the feeling that what their saying is true. What if it is? Then one of us is really the Evil King! But then -" Brady began to rant only to be cut off by an annoyed Boomer.

Boomer grabbed his brother's shoulders and shook him rather violently as if doing so was the only way to knock some sense into Brady, "There is no Evil King! Snap out of it. I told you, we're going to do what we do with everything else-ignore it." Boomer finished with a strong determination.

"But it's not just Mikayla and Mason! It's the whole island. Candace was talking about it on her show and Lanny was walking through here mumbling about it earlier too," Brady argued as Boomer shook his head. Why was his brother been so stubborn about this?

"You mean sweet cousin Lanny believes it!?" Boomer asked in disbelief as Brady nodded. "You're just freaked out. I'm sure Lanny would never think about evil-he is too sweet-and Candace just likes gossip, that's it. There's no evil king." Boomer said simply.

"Oh yeah, and how do you know!?" Brady asked as he raised an eyebrow at his brother. His tone was challenging; he was daring Boomer to come up with a better explanation.

Boomer had an answer alright, but it wasn't the one Brady needed.

"I know this because I know these things," Boomer replied as he gestured to himself while Brady groaned. "People just freak over the smallest of things. Besides, if there really was an Evil King we would be seeing two twins moons, and guess what, there are no twin moons."

"I guess you're right," Brady sighed in defeat.

Boomer smiled and patted his brother on the shoulder in victory. "See, everything is fine, there's no Evil King," He reassured him.

"Hey guys,"

Both kings jumped at the voice, a similar scream of fright arising from both of them. Brady used his brother as support as he waited for his breath to even out and his heart beat to slow. Boomer on the other hand relaxed as soon as he saw the owner of the voice, but was slightly ticked off at said person.

It had been Mikayla Makoola herself.

"Good grief women; you nearly gave us a heart attack!" Brady exclaimed while glaring at Mikayla.

"Yeah, you think for being one sixteenth Sasquatch you'd make some kind of noise," Boomer agreed only to earn a look from Mikayla this time.

"Okay...Even though I'm feeling slightly insulted by that, I'm going to let it slide, just this once." Mikayla said, making the twins look at her in confusion. "Only because, I came to talk to you about an important issue." Mikayla continued as Brady frowned.

"I-It's not about the Evil King, is it?" Brady asked with slight worry, and Boomer glanced at him.

Didn't they just establish that there was no threat?

"Actually it is." Mikayla nodded.

Boomer was the one to groan this time.

"No! There's no Evil King and I just told Brady this! No Evil King and no need to talk about it!" Boomer exclaimed, flailing his arms wildly. His brother and best friend didn't understand that there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

"But it's important my King; I thought I could help prepare you for your fight." Mikayla stated. The Twins stared at her, but she continued nonetheless, "I figured if the story and prophecy was real, then you should at least get some help in training. I know the events might not turn out well, but I care about you guys; I want to help."

"Well, we don't need any." Boomer stated stubbornly before anyone could object. "You wanna know why!? Because there's no Evil King."

"My King," Mikayla began, placing her hands on her hips. She gave up several times on the kings before. This time, she wasn't going to let them ignore her. "I know you don't want to believe the rumors, and neither do I. But we need to be prepared in case something happens." Mikayla reasoned as Boomer shook his head.

Why he had to be so ignorant, Mikayla didn't know. He just made her job more difficult, but it wasn't like she was going to leave it at that. The cold feeling was there again, in the back of her mind and if she didn't get the Kings to follow through with her idea, she might as well be stuck with that bitter and uncomfortable feeling. They could die but she wasn't going to let them.

"Yeah, well no thanks! Now if you excuse me, I need to go clear my head." Boomer declared, dismissing himself from the conversation and storming (quite dramatically) out the castle doors.

Brady and Mikayla stood there, looking at one another as a silence came over them.

Brady was so confused. Mikayla and Mason claimed that it was in fact true and Mikayla said that she would personally train them, For what-their deaths? Mikayla might just be trying to help, or she most likely wanted them to die a less tragic and more heroic death. Whichever one it was, he didn't know. But he wanted to believe her-he wanted to trust her-because she was so alluring. Her words, her beauty, and her everything had got him hooked. Yet, with the problem at hand and Boomer being ignorant, he was so conflicted.

Then there was Mikayla who was fighting with herself. The rule on Kinkow was that prophecies couldn't be changed and they had to play out the way they're supposed to. But she didn't want it to. She couldn't let it end with a death and Kinkow to be in darkness for ages. She cared for the people, the Kings that she needed everything to be alright. And she was going to make sure it was going to be that way. She fought the cold feeling that threatened to overtake her body, the numbness that was so attractive. She couldn't let it win. She needed for things to go well.

The tension in the air was so strong and awkward; Brady decided to break it, "I'll go find him and try to talk to him." Brady explained as Mikayla nodded.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mikayla asked as Brady shook his head.

"Nah, it might be easier if I was the only one there." Brady told her.

With that, Brady turned and shuffled out of the Throne Room, going off to find his brother.

Mikayla didn't stay to watch him leave. She turned on her heels and went straight to her room, determination in her steps and an awful feeling in her body.

* * *

Finding Boomer was a lot harder than Brady expected it to be. After all, the island was so huge, and Boomer was only one person. Who knew where he could be? Brady had searched the many beach spots that lined the island and when there was no sign of his brother, he turned and continued to wonder the island.

An hour after searching the island, Brady finally came across Boomer who was at the edge of the light side, right near the dark side. The sun was to set in a few minutes and in the little light left of the day Brady could see the agitated look on his brother's face.

"Hey, Boom! You can't just storm off like, I've been looking for you for like-" Brady stopped as he began to think. "Like, let's see I left like twenty - no eight -for like ever." Brady complained as Boomer regarded him with a frown.

"Well sorry for not wanting to hear any of this Evil King nonsense! Gosh, I can't believe the people are dumb enough to come up with a story like that." Boomer sighed, collapsing on a nearby rock.

"The people!? Dude, the story is in the Great Book, I actually looked it up." Brady said.

Boomer looked at him in surprise. He studied his brother, "You read the Great Book!? When!?" Boomer asked with a serious tone. The Twins had a rule that there were certain things they couldn't do. One of those things included reading-which meant Brady broke it.

"Earlier, before you came down into the Throne Room and we had that conversation." Brady explained.

"So, I'm guessing that's why you were siding with the whole believing thing?" Boomer asked as Brady was the one who nodded this time.

"Um, one of the reasons, yes," Brady stated sheepishly, trying his best to avoid his brother's glare.

Boomer crossed his arms and cocked a hip, "Well I don't care what you say! I just don't want to believe it. You're my brother, my best friend! I don't know what I'd do without you bro! And now some story comes along, saying that one of us is going to have to kill the other; I just can't handle the thought." Boomer exclaimed as he frowned.

"I know Boom! And you don't think I can?" Brady questioned as he gestured to himself. "Look, I know we said we were going to ignore the problem, but we can't. Mikayla offered to help train us and I think we should do it. After all, even though we might have to fight one another, we need to be ready. Not just for us, but for whatever evil the island decides to throw at us from now until the Evil King."

Boomer was shocked. Brady didn't usually go around saying things like this. Was it the problem that made his brother more mature?

"I get what you're saying but I still don't believe there's an Evil King. I don't know why I don't like it, but I just don't believe there is one." Boomer explained. "I mean think about it; if there really was an Evil King; then there would be twin moons in the sky."

With that said, a silence came over the two boys. Brady moved to sit next to Boomer and the two continued to think about their situation. Still deep in thought, Brady looked towards the horizon, where the sun had finally sunk and night encased them. When a thought crossed his mind-one so very awful that it made his heart race and breathing slow-he glanced towards the sky where the moon should be.

Fortunately the moon was right there, visible and clear and bright, and not a second one was beside it. Then the clouds parted and disappeared and Brady was suddenly on his feet, face sweaty and palms clammy. His heart rate intensified, if that was even possible, and he couldn't breathe. His breath was caught in his throat, stuck there by an invisible but huge lump. He didn't feel so well.

It couldn't be happening, he tried to reassure himself. But he realized, horrifically, terribly, that it was happening.

Boomer was up and by Brady's side, his hand on his brother's shoulder in a comforting manner. He told Brady to relax, that everything was going to be fine. But his words fell upon death ears. When he asked Brady what was wrong, all his brother could do was point to the clear night sky.

The color in Boomer's face drowned as soon as he took sight of the moon. Or the two Twin moons, dare he say.

There, in the sky was not only one moon, but the two. Boomer suddenly felt cold, as if winter was close. He wondered if Brady could feel it too.

The Twin moons were present in the sky and they were dominant, frightening. The one on the left was the crystal clear color everyone was used to seeing but the one that was attached to it-the one that the Twin Kings wished so badly to not ever see again-was a blood red. Even worst, it looked as if someone had taken the blood from fallen warriors and smeared it against a once beautiful white moon.

Hesitant and terrified out of their right minds, the Kings exchanged similar looks. They took off running; fear the only emotion fueling them and one goal in mind: Defeat the Evil King.


	4. Chapter 4

When Darkness Arises - A Pair of Kings Fanfiction...

A/N - Well, we're back with this story. Chapter four is being updated and we won't update again until May. Thank you for all the reviews and continuous support. All of you are amazing. Wendy Piece and I own nothing from Pair of Kings as usual. Wendy Piece wrote a lot of the chapter and edited, some dialogue by me. Thanks again for the wait, and please enjoy chapter four.

* * *

Chapter 4

Heavy breathing, sweaty faces. Feet pounded across the jungle floor, and that was the only sound detectable in the thickness of the night. Then there was the occasional rustling of the leaves and growling of animals and the Kings could only run faster.

There was very little light, the only light source coming from the Twin Moons.

But the Kings didn't-wouldn't- look back.

Their feet were aching and their hearts were thudding loudly against their rib cages. There was nothing in the world that could make them stop at that moment. Not even a warm bed or a hot shower. Nothing. They had to go back to the castle, back to safety and out of the moon's gaze.

Brady ran ahead, Boomer following close behind. Their breathing was equally ragged and heavy. They had done this before and they couldn't stop now. Especially not with the threat of the Evil King looming right above them, the proof displayed in the night sky.

The people will be questioning. They will be dancing with joy because their suspicions were in fact true but the Kings could care less for the people.

They needed to get home.

Running as fast they possibly could, the Kings turned a corner on the path before them and continued to move, regardless of their aching limbs. The ruble stones crunched painfully beneath their sneakers. The bushes at their feet began cutting into their pants, tearing the fabric and leaving cuts on their legs. Tree branches slapped them in the face, momentarily delaying them. Disoriented and hurt, the Twin Kings staggered around the jungle until they tripped over their own feet. The Kings screamed in surprise as they landed on the grassy, dirty surface of the jungle floor with a thud.

Groaning in pain, the two stood up. Their cuts were serious and they needed help, but they didn't think of it as their first priority.

"Ugh, next time we really need to watch where we're going." Brady said as he moved his neck side to side to crack it.

Boomer nodded in agreement, "Yeah, even if we are running from our problems." He paused, deliberating. "Do you think the twin moons are still out?"

"I don't know," Brady replied as he frowned. "The only way to tell is if we look ourselves."

Boomer shook his head.

"I'm not looking." Boomer stated like it was obvious. "You do it." He gestured to his brother.

"Me?" Brady asked with surprise. "Why would I look?"

"Because it was your idea," Boomer said, staring at his brother with interest. "Unless, there's a reason you don't want to look."

"What?" Brady asked, his head tilting to one side and eyebrow raising in confusion.

"Think about it. Why would you tell me we would have to look ourselves to see if the twin moons are out and then not look? Hm..." Boomer began as paced to and fro, stopping only when a thought occurred to him. He jumped back suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at Brady. "I know why! You must be the Evil King."

Brady glared at his brother's assumption. Boomer was being irrational.

"Boomer come on, you're acting ridiculous," Brady told him. "Would you really think I was the Evil King? Dude, we're bro's or life. And did I attack you?"

Brady was used to his brother thinking such silly things, but he wouldn't believe the dark-skinned male. Especially since his accusation was over the top and hard to believe. Besides, if Brady was the Evil King, wouldn't he have caused trouble a long time ago?

Boomer was caught up in his thoughts. He tried to think of an answer to the problem, the solution he so badly needed. The Twin moons were out, so that must of meant that one of them-and by one, he meant Brady-was the Evil King. Boomer was about to blame Brady again, until his brother's reasoning finally sunk in.

"You don't think I know that!?" Boomer asked while waving his arms around to prove his point. "I'm sorry man; it's just all this nonsense is getting to me." Boomer sighed in frustration. He glanced up at the sky, and sure enough, there were the Twin Moons, dominating and frightening as ever. "I just don't know what to think. I know you're not evil."

"Aw, thanks man." Brady smiled as he patted Boomer on the shoulder. "I know you're not evil too."

"Yeah! See, who needs the island's crazy story?" Boomer asked as he and Brady laughed a little. "People just like to get in our heads."

"Right! And I bet you the twin moons aren't even real," Brady agreed as he and Boomer broke into laughter. "It's probably Mikayla trying to prank us."

With that being said, the two turned back and started down the path to the castle. Or what they thought was the way to the castle. One would think that after spending a lengthy amount of time on the island's jungle, the Kings would know their way around, right? Well, the Kings couldn't tell the difference between the trees they passed or the paths they went down but the sounds were the same. They always had been and they always would be.

The jungle was alive the most at night. Creatures were free to wander as they wished without worry of an attack, of an outsider coming into their territory. Not only were the creatures active, but so were the plants. The moons cast a shadow down on the trees, making their images scarcely similar to a human outline. Their branches were arms reaching, stretching, wanting to hold the nearest person in a tight embrace. Their faces were present in the center, twisted and old, but still quite frightening.

"Hey Boom?" Brady tried to swallow down the lump that formed in his throat again. The sight of the jungle was too much for him; he wondered if Boomer couldn't stand it either.

"Yeah Brady?" Boomer was near him, thank goodness, yet his voice still seemed so distant.

"Time to run?"

"Time to run." Boomer's voice was affirmative and high-pitched. He was scared, as was Brady.

The two took off running again, leaving no time to think as they raced through the jungle. Leaving without the guards and staying out was stupid of them, but both Kings didn't acknowledge that. All they could think about was the trouble ahead.

The jungle was unnerving, causing shivers to run down the Kings' spines. Their legs felt like lead, their faces were thick and glossy from the droplets of sweat that now came down like waterfalls. They could have given in and collapsed on the jungle floor, letting the problem be solved by itself, but a hard determination struck both Kings and they found themselves running even faster.

They didn't stop until they reached a clearing. The Kings thought that it was the Light Side, but with the pitch black night encompassing the sky, who knew which side it was. No animals or sign of any life could be seen mulling around the area. The area was abandoned, probably not having been touched in centuries. Black obsidian walls surround the Kings on three sides, making an incomplete square with the Kings standing in the place where the fourth wall was supposed to be. Or was it supposed to be that way? The Kings weren't sure, but the area reminded them of a courtyard.

The walls were only three feet high and jagged. The Kings continued forward, hopefully carrying themselves further away from this odd arrangement. Stone rocks beneath their feet crunched, alarming them. That was not comfortable at all.

Then a path led deeper into the jungle and, before the Kings could think twice about turning back, they edged forward. Curiosity was a guilty crime, yet they couldn't help it. Their feet moved while their minds remained blank of any thought. Funny, how it seemed that the place was taking any and all human parts remaining in them.

They soon came to stand before double wooden doors. A sign hung over head, the inscription just barely comprehendible.

"Land of the Undead?" Boomer tried to read.

Brady shrugged. He understood this situation as much as Boomer did-which meant absolutely nothing made sense to him.

Boomer raised his hand to knock on the door. Both Kings found that a bit stupid, since there was no sign of life around there what so ever. When the doors didn't open, the Kings were ready to find another way to pry them open for reasons neither of them could understand. Then one of the doors did open, all by itself, and Kings could only stare at one another.

What was going on?

The thought was dismissed as soon as they felt an imaginary tug on their bodies. They were on the other side of the door without a second thought. They couldn't even recall having the urge to step into the room, let alone shuffling their feet enough to move. The door slammed shut behind them, the sound echoing in the dark. An eerie silence followed.

The animals of the jungle could no longer be heard. Their noise was extinguished as soon as the Kings entered the area.

Their hearts raced suddenly. They were only surrounded by the wide and high black walls. There was no ceiling overhead. Just the pitch black sky and the Twin Moons. Unfortunately, the only light source of the room, or what they thought to be a room, were the moons.

The Twins turned on their heels and started beating on the doors they came from. They screamed, but it wasn't as if someone was going to come for them. Especially not since they were in the middle of the jungle.

Groaning, both Kings gave up. They didn't even know how or why they were there, but they wanted to get out. Maybe they could find another way out, seeing as the walls were no higher than maybe thirteen feet. The human part of them took over again, and they found determination grow in their heads. With an idea in mind, they tried to get out. It took ten minutes, five arguments, lots of complaining, and an attempt at leap frog for the Kings to realize that scaling the walls weren't an option.

It was weird; every time they'd get to the top of the wall, they'd be pushed back down to the ground. It was as if an invisible force stood on the other side of the wall and restricted their attempts to leave. Whatever it was, it was a big meanie.

A shiver ran down the Kings' backs again, but they weren't quite sure why. Yeah, this place seemed creepy, but whole jungle was creepy too. Sighing in defeat, the Kings carried their bruised and battered bodies to the other side of the area. They expected it to end there, but before them was something they didn't expect to see.

A throne room.

Well, they weren't exactly certain if what they were looking at was a throne room or not. The only way they could tell was by the leather and stone chair that sat in the center. Spikes stuck out from the back, and boy did they look sharp under the moons' light.

Brady gulped. He figured out what that place was-who it belonged to-but he didn't want to tell Boomer. He didn't want to scare his brother even further.

Then, it happened.

Brady didn't know what, but he couldn't prevent it.

The raven-haired King felt the brightness of the moons overhead; felt a numbness settle in his body. He was slowly loosing touch with everything, and he had to fight with himself to stay conscious of his surroundings. Something was going on, but what, he couldn't tell. All thoughts and feelings were pushed to the back of his mind as he stepped forward, ignoring the cold breeze that swept his hair and traced his body, ignoring his brother altogether. He was getting closer to the throne.

Boomer was lost in thought.

He didn't need to be told anything. He finally understood. The cold he felt whilst staring at the moons, running through the jungle, and coming upon this, whatever it was, returned. His breath nearly left his lungs. His legs felt like jelly, and it wasn't just from the amount of running he and Brady had done. His body immobilized, and he was pretty sure every fiber of his body was being taken over by fear. Soft whispers at his ears almost lulled him to sleep. Almost. Boomer had a strong sense of reality, and he was going to stay like that. He realized that this place, though old and in ruins, was radiating some sort of power. It wasn't very strong, but it obviously gave out an ominous feeling. And Boomer hated it very much.

Why was he so terrified? Because the Evil King was very much real and the problem he tried so hard to avoid was unfolding right before his eyes. Boomer didn't need to ask Brady how he felt. Because, if he was afraid, then certainly Brady was too. Just as long as long as Brady didn't say or do anything stupid, he'd be remain-or at last try to-in one piece.

"Boom, I think we're in the Evil King's Castle."

And just like that, Boomer felt his world crashing. The harsh reality slowly-painfully-sunk in even though he-and pretty sure Brady as well-didn't want it to.

Brady was inching ever so closer to the throne. Boomer wanted to stop his brother from doing that, but he was literally frozen on the spot. The summer breeze was cool, but Boomer still felt like winter had come far too early. Why didn't Brady feel it? Brady was circling the throne now, his eyes displaying a mixture of interest, confusion, and fear.

Maybe Brady felt it, and chose to ignore it. But his brother wouldn't stop looking at the throne with fascination, and that made Boomer's stomach churn. Seeing his brother so calm was more frightening then the gruesome faces of the trees.

"Stop it, Brady," Boomer's voice was small and almost inaudible; he was surprised he could say anything at all.

Boomer's voice was enough to make Brady stop examining the throne. The raven-haired King's fingers were gravitating over the leather arm of the chair, over the spikes the protruded out of the back. He didn't know how he got there. Brady abruptly turned to his brother. He managed a small smile, it feeling all too natural. "I'm just looking," he heard himself say, yet he wasn't sure if those were the words he intended to use, or if that was the reason he was by the throne.

Brady returned to his brother's side. He placed a comforting hand on Boomer's shoulder, and that made Boomer relax, even if it was momentarily. "We'll get out of here." His voice was promising, and Boomer believed him. Boomer had to because if he didn't have any hope or confidence, he probably wouldn't be able to fight the Evil King, let alone get out of this castle. The Kings were about to look for another way out when their rings suddenly glowed.

That was funny; they forgot they had it on. A light emitted from the identical rings, and suddenly out came a shimmering, floating figure.

"Ghost!" Brady cried. The boy had long conquered his fear of ghosts, but seeing this one came as a surprise. He cowered behind Boomer, eyes peeking over his brother's shoulder in curiosity.

The night must have been too much because even Boomer felt threatened by the presence. "Go away!" He managed to scream, fruitlessly pointing at the door.

But the ghost just stayed there, beady red eyes locked on the Kings. The apparition wore black and white robes, it's outline almost lost by all the heavy clothing. The image flickered in the moonlight, the deadly pale skin almost making the ghost appear intangible in the faint light. Yet the red eyes were most prominent.

The apparition lifted one thin finger in the air. The Kings scrambled to a corner, their eyes never once leaving the supernatural being. As if the night couldn't have gotten even more worse, the ghost spoke.

Multiple voices erupted out of the one being: a little girl who sounded oddly ecstatic; an old man's raspy, breathy tone; a resigned adult. But the most powerful, most memorable one of all were the voices who were screaming. Whether in anguish or joy, it sounded so miserable. All sounds mingled together to create something of a screechy, ear piercing song:

"The Royal Family is guilty of crime  
No longer can it survive  
One can only do so much to fix the time  
The other must fall to a painful demise  
A good heart turns evil  
Trust and love is put to the test  
Time will stand forever still  
And a lover will be dearly missed  
History shall not repeat  
Put an end to the regrets."

The light from the rings died, taking the hideous being with it. The wind shook the trees, whistling a soothing tone, and animals gave a hearted, hungry cry. The night was somehow both alive and dead now.

And never have the Twins felt the same.


	5. Chapter 5

When Darkness Arises - A Pair Of Kings FanFiction...

A/N - Well, here is chapter five. We know we said we wouldn't update until May; but we thought you'd like another one until then. Chapter five written by me and Wendy Pierce re-read and edited the whole chapter. As usual, we own nothing from Pair Of Kings!

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Chapter 5

Whilst the Twin Kings stood shoulder to shoulder in a frozen horror in the living nightmare that was the Dark Side, a certain Makoola couldn't contain her fears and worries back in the Royal Castle.

As Mikayla Makoola paced back and forth, her feet treading roughly against the cement floor, she couldn't dare keep still. However; Mikayla wasn't the only one to worry; for even Mason Makoola himself was slightly freaking out. Not only were the twin moons from the legend showing themselves, but the twin kings of Kinkow were missing as well. Thus, sending everyone-at least those in the castle who bothered to care-into a panicked frenzy.

"Ugh, Mikayla! Please, stop it; you're giving me a head ache." Lanny stated with annoyance as he leaned back in the Throne. Well; almost everyone…

Mikayla stopped in her tracks and turned sharply towards Lanny. "Well, sorry for being worried. You know; some of us actually think of others instead of ourselves for a change." Mikayla spat with a knowing, dirty look.

"Yeah; you're only thinking of your boyfriend." Lanny muttered with an eye roll, his fingers rubbing his forehead in hopes of ridding himself of a horrible headache that was slowly forming. In times of trouble, the boy was rather annoyed. There were simpler ways to solve a problem; mainly, by staying away from his general area! People could fret elsewhere, but it always had to be by him! How unfortunate; he couldn't function properly with all this negativity.

This made Mikayla unsheathe her machete and direct it at Lanny. The weapon glowed faintly, dangerously, in the dim light that the chandelier had to offer. "What did you say!?" Mikayla demanded, not fully hearing what he said.

"N-Nothing," Lanny stuttered simply as he jumped onto the throne and pushed the tip of the machete-the tip that was alarmingly close to his stomach-away from him. He mustered the courage to add, "I said; I know how you can find Brady and Boomer if you'd stop pacing so much."

"Really?" Mikayla questioned as she raised an eyebrow at him. "How?" She challenged.

"Easy; I heard it from Doc, who heard it from Mitchel, who heard it from Kelsey, who heard it from-." Lanny began to explain before Mikayla suddenly interrupted him out of annoyance.

"Oh, just get on with it, will ya'!?" Mikayla demanded as she gritted her teeth slightly. "After all, there are only twelve-ish chapters to this Fanfic and I'd rather you not waste it!"

Lanny shot her a look, "Anyway; I heard from Doc that King Boomer was seen on the edge of the Light Side right next to the border between our side and the Dark Side." Lanny carefully sunk back down into the Throne and smirked to himself. His comfort was taken away from him; he might as well make the guard girl pay for it.

"If I were you, I'd go and look there for the Kings. After all, if what you told me earlier is true, then there's no doubt that King Brady is there looking for King Boomer. You'd better find them before they do something stupid. Knowing those two; they'd probably do something stupid." Lanny explained as he leaned back against the soft cushioning of the throne and sighed in bliss. Oh, the trouble Makoola will get in…

Mikayla didn't think about that; only that she needed her Kings and she needed to get them now.

"You're right." Mikayla stated which surprised her. She withdrew her weapon, allowing it hang lazily by her side as she regarded the prince with gratitude (a look she was sure to never give the younger teenager ever again).

"I need to go and find them." Mikayla decided finally. Immediately, she headed for the door before she stopped in thought and frowned. "But I can't. It's past curfew; my father would be ticked if he found out I left the castle." She sighed in annoyance; curfew or not, she was still very worried about her twin Kings.

"M-Kay, Kay-Kay." Lanny said in a sing-song voice as he smiled oddly at her. This was one of his maniac looks, one that usually turned people off from him, but Mikayla was too caught in the moment that she didn't give a visible reaction. "Just go look for the Kings. I'm sure your father would understand why you broke curfew this one time. After all, if he knew the Kings were in possible danger; I'm sure he'd do the same thing if he was you."

Mikayla looked at the young prince in surprise, "You know what! You're right." Mikayla repeated as she pulled her machete out once more. "Tell my father I went looking for the Kings if he asks." Mikayla stated and went for the door again. She stopped in her tracks once more and turned to face Lanny. "Also, thanks…For the advice. I know we don't see eye to eye half the time, but I know you mean well. So thanks." Mikayla smiled quickly and briefly (yet another thing she wouldn't give to the boy after this) at him before turning to leave for good.

Lanny stood there, quite surprised himself, as he watched Mikayla leave. However, as Mikayla went, she didn't catch the glint of something in Lanny's eyes or the smile that wasn't quite a smile he sent in her direction as she fled the room in a hurry.

Though, much like the Kings, even the Makoolas didn't know what it was with little Prince Lanny.

~.~.~.~.~.~

After a while of trekking through the jungle of Kinkow with the twin moons being her only light source, Mikayla finally made it to the area where Lanny had suggested her to look.

Yet, just as soon as she arrived, Mikayla was stopped in her tracks by a distant sound. It was an odd sound, for it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once which horribly worried the guard girl. Scanning the area around her cautiously; Mikayla tried to identify the noise as it drew closer and closer.

As the noise appeared before her unexpectedly without warning, no longer a distant echo in the night air, Mikayla held out her machete and got into a defensive stance, ready to fight if she needed too. Then the sound died suddenly, being replaced by the somewhat rhythmic and labored beating of heavy footfalls coming from behind her. Turning swiftly, Mikayla held her foot out, waiting. Whatever it was, wild animals or something, she was prepared for the attack.

A foot caught on hers and something, hopefully her attacker, tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. And…Painful cries that sounded human?

When the screams reached her ears, she turned with her machete raised, ready to slice apart any Dark Side creature that dared to cross her path. What she wasn't expecting was the familiar high-pitched scream that could only come out of two people she knew.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT US!"

The voice pulled Mikayla away from her fight stance and made her down at her attacker-or victims, in this case. With surprise and guilt, Mikayla lowered her machete and pulled her foot away. Before her, the twin Kings of Kinkow that she had been looking for lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Oh, my kings! I'm so sorry." Mikayla apologized as she helped both boys up. "I couldn't see who it was and I didn't know it was you. I'm seriously really sorry."

Brady and Boomer stretched when they got up. "It's alright; this wouldn't be the first time someone mistook us for attackers." Boomer dismissed her as Mikayla looked at him in confusion.

"It's a long story…" Brady explained simply once he noticed the look Mikayla was giving his twin.

Mikayla nodded slowly, warily, "Anyway; what were you two running from? You both sounded like a child was being murdered, which is not a fun sound to hear, trust me."

Both boys shook with slight fright, but from what exactly, Mikayla didn't know.

"Ghost…Prophecy…Evil Castle…True…Rings…" Brady tried to explain again as Mikayla eyed him with a funny look. Brady frowned as he hunched over in attempt to catch his breath. After a moment, he stood up and grabbed Mikayla by her shoulders, shaking her roughly as he did so, "THE PROPHECY IS REAL WOMEN! REAL!" Brady yelled as he regarded her with a strained expression.

Mikayla grabbed Brady's wrists and shoved them off of her shoulders, "First of all, quite doing that before I break you," Mikayla demanded, her tone threatening as she held the boy at arm's length.

The comment made the King cower back a little. "Sorry," Brady apologized as he took a step back. If he was being honest, he wanted Mikayla to hold him a little longer even if the embrace wasn't the least bit nice or comforting. But the guard girl was scary, much like her father, so he withdrew from her and her grasp.

"–Secondly; say what now!?" Mikayla questioned as she eyed Brady and Boomer with confusion. "We knew the prophecy was real, hello, the twin moons are right above us." She gestured to the moons. All three turned and regarded the moons with somewhat similar looks.

"Yes, we know that they're there, and even though they creep us out very much, I have to admit their light does bring a very nice eerie glow to the setting of this story." Boomer fondly stated with a dreamy smile as Brady and Mikayla just stared at him.

Mikayla shook her head, "We need to stop breaking the forth wall," Mikayla muttered. "No offense my King, but that's not what I meant."

Both Kings sighed heavily as though they knew where this was going-which of course they did.

"Oh, trust us girl, we know what you meant," Boomer noted as he threw his arms up in defense. "But Brady wasn't talking about the moons; he was trying to tell you that we ran into the Evil Castle and got visited by a ghost from our King Rings. The ghost told us the Prophecy you and Mason told us about how one of us must die. I know I didn't believe it before, but now I do, and trust me girl, neither Brady nor I want this Prophecy to come true! Is there any way we can stop it from happening?"

A moment of silence came over the three friends as Mikayla frowned at Boomer's question. Watching the twin Kings; Mikayla couldn't help but feel sad, useless, and guilty all in one. Mikayla felt sad because she saw the worried looks the brothers' shared and the thought of losing one of her friends and king was just too much. Useless, because the only help she could provide was the training she offered earlier. And guilty because she knew about the prophecy before they did and even when her and her father told them, she knew there was no other way out of this mess. All these emotions were making her heart hurt even more. Looking between the two; Mikayla finally shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry my King; but as far as I know; there is no other way out of it." Mikayla could only feel worse as she watched the boy's faces fall into pouts. If only she wasn't the bearer of bad news.

"However," She began, a new idea and feeling coming to mind, "my training offer still stands any time you decide you do want preparation for your fight." Mikayla frowned slightly on the word "fight". Her Kings were unlikely soldiers with a history of terrible work ethnics, but hope was fleeting and she had to do something before she drowned in her own misery and regret.

"But for now; it's getting late. I think we need to head back to the castle before my father or anyone else figures out we're all gone and begins to worry." Mikayla smiled a little. One way or another, her Kings will win. One way or another, the two will make it through alive and unscathed.

They all will.

"Yeah, maybe tomorrow we can start that training you've been offering?" Brady wondered with his eyebrow raised and a rather optimistic tone. He leaned closer to her, smiled and talked in a suggestively romantic manner, but she disregarded that just this once.

Mikayla smiled and nodded, "Definitely; but you can't train without some type of a good night's sleep." Mikayla finished as she saw both brother's eye each other. Somehow; all three friends knew that neither one of them were getting any real sleep that night. "Come on; let's go." Mikayla prodded.

So; together the three friends made their way back to the Royal Castle. Upon arriving, the trio summoned their inner ninjas (Mikayla more than the Twins) and tried to stealthily slink upstairs without alarming anyone. However; their plan was not a success, for once they entered the now empty Throne Room, there was someone who caught onto their little plan and was not very happy about it.

"Where do you three think you're going?" A voice questioned calmly. All three teenagers suddenly screamed in fright and swiftly turned their gazes abruptly towards the foot of the stairs, where the Royal Advisor stood with his arms crossed.

"Gosh, did you have to sneak up on us!? You people know we hate it when you do that." Brady muttered as he leaned on Boomer to steady himself, while Boomer took slow breaths to prevent his heart from jumping out of his ribcage.

"Yeesh…now…I…know…how…you…guys…feel." Mikayla added in-between breaths as she doubled over and took labored breaths. Brady and Boomer eyed her with raised eyebrows-it took her over a year to understand them?

Mason, however, was not pleased with either one of those statements.

"It's not Mikayla's fault, Mason," Brady suddenly began, which caused Boomer and Mikayla to eye him with confusion and surprise. The boy sounded guilty, not just at the day's events but at something that didn't necessarily have to do with it as well. Was he playing around? None of the other teenagers could tell since there was something genuine about the way he confessed it; the words he used and the sincere look he gave the older man. "It's Boom and I's. Mikayla came looking for us because, uh-."

"Because-because-because we wanted her to help train us for our upcoming fight." Boomer cut his brother off as he smiled and gestured to Mikayla. He didn't know where Brady was going with his comment, but he didn't want him to get them in further trouble then they already were with the Man-Squatch. All three friends smiled nervously at Mason as Mikayla put her arms around the two.

"Yup! After all, even though the prophecy is slowly coming true and there's nothing we can do to stop it. I figured, instead of feeling useless; why not help them with some training." Mikayla finished with a grin. She wasn't telling the complete truth but she thankfully didn't have to tell a complete lie to her father.

"Training…" Brady muttered to himself half stupidly, as Boomer reached behind Mikayla to smack him upside the head to prevent him from making it worse.

"Uh huh…." Mason hummed incredulously, his gaze trailing all three of them. If he was raging with anger, his face didn't show it. But rather unfortunately, his tone did. And what a biting, poisonous thing it was. "Either way, you three are in trouble. Mikayla; you were out past curfew. And my Kings…well, with the whole prophecy thing..."

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling a slow, breathy whistle. He continued, this time his eyes were more unforgiving. "Until the twin moons go away and we find a way to solve this Evil King Prophecy, Brady, Boomer, I advise you to stay in the castle. From now on; you're both under house arrest. No leaving the premises, as long as it's far as the garden or the plaza."

The twins looked at him in disbelief, completely shocked.

"What!? You can't do that!?" Boomer challenged with annoyance. "We're the kings! You can't house arrest us!" He gestured wildly to him and Brady.

"Well, I just did," Mason replied simply.

"But Mason!" Brady tried to reason, "Even a house arrest won't work on us; we'll always find ways…" He couldn't even finish, for Boomer shot him a warning look.

"Go ahead and try then." Mason challenged. "I'll double the guards at every room and entrance in this castle. No one gets in or out from this point on."

Mason smiled in victory while Brady and Boomer frowned, beginning to get a little salty towards to the idea of being under house arrest. "Now; both of you, up to your room you go. I need to have a word with my daughter." Mason lingered on the last word as though it was a question, not a name. That was how Mikayla knew that she was in some deep trouble and her sentence, like the Kings, was coming for her. Once the kings were gone, trudging rather childishly up the stairs, Mason turned to his daughter and laughed to himself when he saw her smile sweetly and innocently at him.

"Daddy…. I can explain why I broke curfew…." Mikayla began uncertainly.

"Oh; I'm sure you can." Mason teased as he sat down on one of the couches and crossed his arms.

"I went looking for Brady and Boomer," Mikayla tried. "Before they disappeared we had a slight argument. And well…Boomer stormed off and Brady went to look for him and try and calm him down. But when the twin moons appeared and with both boys still gone, I knew I had to go find them to make sure they were okay. Lanny even suggested that I should before they did something incredibly stupid. I mean, I figured you'd be okay with this because I was worried about the safety of our kings. Isn't that what was important anyway!?" Mikayla questioned as she took a deep breath, sinking into the couch next to her dad.

"Baby girl," Mason glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. His tone implied something dangerous, something strong and deadly that only someone like Mason could possess. "It's not only the Kings' safety I care about. Yes, they are our rulers and they deserve all the protection they could get-and they need a lot of it-but that's not my only concern."

Mikayla didn't understand him. Her father continued, "You matter too." His arm wrapped around her shoulders, brought her closer to him.

Mikayla didn't give in to this embrace, as she still wasn't sure exactly how her father felt toward her actions today. Furious of course because she broke curfew. Upset possibly, because she didn't do her job right. But concerned? That was always in Mason's tone when he spoke to her yet today that concern felt a little forced.

"Baby girl," Mason said once more, pulling her attention back to him. "Protect our Kings and do the best you can but"-Mason's voice caught on the end, as though he was about to choke on his own words and continuing; breathing and uttering his next words, might actually kill him. Mikayla hoped him being with her wouldn't ever do that to him again, but with some reluctance, he went on-"Protect yourself too, okay? The Kings need you, this island needs you. You have to be careful now that we don't know exactly what will happen. But we'll deal with it. So I need you, Baby girl."

Mikayla felt her heart burst a bit at her father's words. She didn't know she could remain in one piece for herself, for the Kings-her dad-as he took a deep, troubling breath and finished with the words she would never forget, "I need you to stay alive."

She laid her head on her father's shoulder. She felt her eyes burn, red hot and threatening with the oncoming storm of possible tears. She was ready to explode; she was ready to become the pile of shame and misery and nothingness right there before her father.

Within that moment, she was no longer Mikayla the strong and determined teenage girl, protector and head guard to the Kings of Kinkow.

Within that moment, she was a little girl again with pigtails, afraid of the monsters that may or may not be hiding under her bed. She didn't want to find out if they were real or how much of a menace they posed to her.

Within that moment, her dad needed her and she needed him just as much.

So, it was with some certainty and hope-that's what you called that little spark of light that appeared at the end of the infinitely stretching, infinitely dark room, right?-that she assured her father;

"I'll be right here, Daddy."


End file.
